BASKETBALL PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL CAME OUT LAST YEAR, THE VERMONT MEN WERE PICKED FIRST... AND FINISHED SECOND. SO YOU COULD SAY, THE COACHES KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THEY MADE THEIR PRE-SEASON PICKS. TODAY, THOSE VOTES WERE CAST AGAIN ...FOR A NEW SEASON... BUT UVM, RECEIVED THE SAME OLD RESULT... FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, THE CATAMOUNTS WILL TOP THE CONFERENCE'S PRE-SEASON POLL, GETTING 6 FIRST PLACE VOTES... COACH JOHN BECKER'S TEAM RETURNS 6 SENIORS, INCLUDING ALL 5 STARTERS THAT HOSTED THE AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME THIS PAST MARCH... THE CATS AS A 2 SEED HOSTED ALBANY IN THE CONFERENCE FINAL A YEAR AGO, GETTING THE HOME GAME AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON NUMBER 1, STONY BROOK LOST IN THE SEMIFINALS... AND THEY ALSO LOST OUT TO THE VERMONT MEN FOR THE PRE- SEASON NUMBER 1... THE SEAWOLVES DID RECEIVE THE REMAINING 3 FIRST PLACES VOTES TO GET THE 2 SEED... FOLLOWED BY ALBANY WHO KNOCKED OFF VERMONT IN THE CONFERENCE FINAL ... HARTFORD AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ROUND OUT THE TOP 5... THE UVM LADIES COME IN AT NUMBER 5... COACH LORI GEAR MCBRIDE'S SQUAD RETURNS THREE OF THE TEAM'S TOP FOUR LEADERS IN SCORING FROM LAST YEAR'S TEAM THAT FINISHED TIED FOR FOURTH IN THE REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS... DEFENDING CHAMPS, ALBANY IS AGAIN THE PRE-SEASON NUMBER 1, WITH HARTFORD, WHO ENDED THE LADY CATS SEASON LAST YEAR, COMING IN AT 2... STONY BROOK AND NEW HAMPSHIRE GO 3-4... THE UVM MEN AND WOMEN HOST THE CATAMOUNT TIP OFF AT PATRICK GYM THIS SATURDAY AT NOON ...